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[b][u][center]Out of the Vortex

Chapter 4: Friendly Assembly

Sponsored by Lorvianne

By Draconicon[/center][/u][/b]

It takes about an hour, but soon enough, Cornelius returns from the rural areas south of the city with my friend and his character. The rabbit dumps them out of the hat without ceremony, leaving my friend, Ladd, and a snowy owl named Abel spilled out on the floor. The latter is clutching his head, rubbing the back of it while glaring up inside of the hat.

I can guess what happened, and it's confirmed when the hat dispenses a crap-ton of tools on top of the owl, burying him. I shake my head, looking at my friend as he pulls himself off of the ground.

“Long flight?"

“Weird flight. As the saying goes –"

“Not the time for quotes, Ladd."

“…Fair enough."

“How many pieces of machinery did Abel try and modify?"

“Oh, just…one or two…here and there."

“Try three separate floors!"

Cornelius's indignant shout echoes, somehow, as if it's coming out of a megaphone. The hat darts here and there, and I imagine that it's probably undergoing a fight for control, what with Nemean still inside and the rabbit trying to keep it together. The rabbit keeps complaining, muttering about 'crazy owls' not knowing what they're doing.

As Ladd helps Abel out of the pile, I shake my head and go back to the couch. Thankfully, we got the bedroom cleaned up from the…antics…me and Draconicon went through before they arrived, and aired it out enough to keep it from smelling like sex. Not much of a victory, but it's something.

Trying to ignore the fact that Queen Jina is flaunting herself on the windowsill, going through various acrobatics and quarterstaff combat maneuvers, I look at Draconicon.

“So…how long do you think we have until this all goes to hell?"

“You mean, it hasn't already?"

“Not quite so bad, but…"

We look at each other, and I slowly look down from the dragon's white eyes.

“Yeah…it's going to be worse, but it's already pretty bad."

Ladd looks up.

“What do you mean, bad? This is freaking awesome."

“How do you figure?"

“Abel made the police cars chase themselves like dogs and cats."

I blink, slowly looking at the snowy owl. Now that he's no longer buried beneath a ton of mechanical rubble, I can see that he's got a lab coat on, and all the pockets are bulging. And not with the sexual stuff that I'm used to writing about.

I hesitantly ask what he's done, and the explanation worries me.

Apparently, I have underestimated the owl and his creator. The owl has apparently set up a signal projector for modern cars, capable of overriding all electronics within them and making them do what he wants. All from a simple tablet, which he has in his pocket. Thankfully, the range on this transmitter seems to suck, but…

[i]This is what we get for making characters that are like mary sues. And Ladd's not gonna be the worst of them. People always wanted to see how supers would be received in real life. Well, now we get to find out.[/i]

I slump back on the couch, grumbling to myself.

“Starting to think we should just head to the mountain before that police officer comes back. It's not like we're not obvious enough out here, what with a red panda dancing on the windowsill and everyone else coming here."

“You brought us here!" Ladd points out.

“Yes, because I know that we're going to be getting in trouble. Might as well have all the big guns in one place."

“I thought you didn't like guns?"

“I don't. But I figure that we'll need something like that."

Particularly with some of the baddies that'll be coming out. And soon.

I consider making a call to the police officer that came by earlier, or rather, the detective. I still have his number, but I worry about bringing him back here. Particularly when things are going to get this insane. I don't know who is going to pop up at any given time, and if he comes around when someone like Saunak appears…

I shiver. I like sexy shows. I don't want to see that.

“Drac…do you think you could help me out with something?"

“Probably."

“I'm thinking we should get some sort of hide-out. Maybe something underground. How much magic do you got at the moment?"

“It's still coming through, but I'd say about 50% of what you designed me with back in 2011."

“So…"

I do some quick mental calculations. Yeah, that'd be enough, considering he was like a [i]shonen[/i] GOD of magic power back then.

“Okay, yeah, that'll be good. I want you to do three things for me.

“First, I want you to set up an underground bunker. There's going to be a lot of those going up in the next few weeks, I imagine, but we might as well get it done first. Don't bother with electricity. When Mick comes around with Sparky and Idesin, we'll have more than enough, and I know you can create water as needed. Nimana as well, probably, when she shows up. Just get it deep, and make it secure, okay?"

The dragon nods, and I nod back.

“Second, I want you to teleport out towards the south. You know where. I want to get Veronica up here."

“Why her?"

“Because I don't feel comfortable having her out there on her own, and I know she's going to be useful as all hell up here."

“And you know that she's going to be deadly."

“…That will help, too."

“Uh-huh. And number three?"

“After you've got Veronica and the rest of these guys down there, I want you to start teleporting around, grabbing the people you can from our list of friends. Use your discretion of who gets out here first, but I want to make sure that we all have space here, eventually."

“Wait, wait, hold on."

I look over at Ladd, the rotund man pressing his glasses up against his face, looking down, then looking up at me again.

“Does that mean we get to have the whole group around?"

“Yeah…"

“Sweeeeeeet."

“Heh, I guess. But let's not get too excited yet. We've still got to find them all, and they have to agree to come out here in the first place."

“Eh, fair point."

“But that shouldn't be too hard. You think you can get Abel to help out with getting the new bunker situated with tech?"

My friend looks at the owl, who looks back. When the maniacal, chirping version of a mad scientist laugh begins, I know I have him on my side. I get up, taking my phone out of my pocket and start dialing. Jina leaps off of the windowsill, standing by my side with her quarterstaff tucked behind her back.

“Who are you calling, hun?"

“The police officer from earlier. I think he and I need to have a chat."

“Oh, really? Why's that?"

“Because I don't want to be that guy holding the idiot ball and ending up ostracizing everyone here. And you're coming with me."

“No arguments here, but any reason?"

“Mostly because you're the closest thing to 'normal' to anyone that's popped out so far. And I think he's going to be too busy staring at your chest to really think about arresting me, if things go badly."

“Heh…not my biggest asset, really."

“I know, but it's not a world where I can just have you strip on the table for us."

“Heh, wanna bet, hun?"

I stop with my finger over the last button on the phone, and slowly turn to look at the red panda.

“You're [i]not[/i] serious."

“Hey, it's not my world anymore," the red panda says with a chuckle. “I don't have to care about my image anymore. And besides, it's been a long time since I danced for an officer of the law."

“…"

“Here, let me do this."

She snatches the phone out of my hand, and I can only watch in shock as she sets up a meeting with the detective in the worst place imaginable.

#

My eyes are glued to the table as the music plays, trying not to think about what the round-hipped red panda is doing just above me. It's hard enough seeing her shadow twisting and turning on the table, her bare feet spinning and carrying her about as she works her body on the table.

On the plus side, at least Detective Monroe is as uncomfortable as I am. He looks down at the table as much as I do, though I can see him occasionally looking up at the character I brought along. I can't [i]entirely[/i] blame him. I would probably be doing the same if this wasn't quite so public.

Neither of us have been able to talk since she started dancing in the private room in the back of the strip club. It's like trying to talk when a symphony is going on, or when a piece of art is being done. It just…doesn't work. Particularly when you end up getting interrupted by the occasional moan of the dancing red panda. I shake my head, trying to pull my brain out of the gutter before she starts it up again.

“Look…Detective."

I can see him looking at me out of the corner of my eye, and with more than a bit of relief on his face, as well.

“Detective. I came here to…as you can see…be honest with you."

“I'm thinking this is…well, a lot more honesty than I expected."

“Yeah, well, her idea."

“Her idea?"

“She's her own person, even if I was the one that made her up."

“…Okay, let's backtrack a bit here. What are you talking about? What is she, to begin with?"

“I'm a queen, darling." Jina chuckles from above, and we both blush. “A queen with a body to die for. If you mean my species, I'm a red panda."

“I've seen those at the zoo. They don't look like you."

“That's because she's an anthro," I explain. “It's…kind of weird, but she's basically a piece of fiction that's come to life."

“…Fiction? What, like…wait…"

The detective shakes his head.

“Okay, let's say that your little story is true, and that she's a piece of fiction. Going with this theory, that means that someone else came up with that lion earlier, and that the dragon that was fighting it – "

“Yeah, the dragon is one of mine. Same with the hat and the rabbit, as well."

“…"

“I know them, but it's not like I have control of them." I gesture at Jina. “Case in point."

“Yeah…I don't think you would be stupid enough to try and do this sort of thing. This is like a bad bribe."

“Are you saying that I'm not worth the price of admission, big guy? Careful how you answer that."

“…You're beautiful, ma'am, no doubt about that. Just, uh, not sure how to respond to…all this."

“Heh, a good recovery. He's a good one, Spencer."

Trying to ignore the dancing panda is getting harder and harder, particularly as she starts dropping down, swaying her hips almost at our eye level. Fuck, I know I wrote her as a tease and a flirt, but this is taking it to an extreme. I can't even look around her, now, without seeing the curve of her ass. And what an ass it is, it keeps reminding me.

I clear my throat.

“That's all the information I have for you, Detective. I wanted you to see the evidence for yourself, I guess."

“You don't know where it's coming from?"

“Not really. I heard from Draconicon that they're popping out somewhere by the Grand Canyon, but that's all I've been able to find out. Something about a lot of guns, there, too. Maybe federal stuff."

“So, for all we know, he could be an escaped experiment?"

The hope in the officer's voice is so desperate I almost feel I could reach out and touch it. I shake my head, though.

“I don't think so. Unless the people who made him were browsing porn sites and pulled him out of the stories for the hell of it, there's no way that someone else made him. Same with her. And same with the others, so far. And I'll bet same with everything else that comes through."

“What do you mean?"

“It's not like it's going to stop so soon, is it? I mean, I've gotten three people that I made up slamming down my doors, coming to visit, and I've gotten verifications of this happening on the other side of the country. Hell, from the other side of the [i]planet.[/i] And if it's coming through like this, who knows what's coming –"

BOOOOOM!

The explosion in the main room stops us all cold, though Detective Monroe is the first to react. He jumps from his seat to the door, hand on his gun, and gestures for me to get down. He doesn't bother making a gesture at Jina, mostly because the red panda is already at the door, having pulled the stripper pole off of the table with her in her jump to it.

“You're quick."

“Can't let someone do something to my creator, now, can I?"

“Guess not. Don't understand your rules." He looks back at me. “Any of your guys work with explosions?"

“You do know it's not just [i]my[/i] characters that are coming to life, right?"

“…"

Detective Monroe edges one of the double doors open, peering through the crack, before he pulls his head back, eyes wide open.

“How…the hell…"

“What? What did you see?" I ask.

“Something green. And…armored, like out of some kind of fantasy."

“Tusked, with a kilt?"

“Well, tusked, but no kilt. More like a sword, and a wand, and a club, and –"

“Oh, god damn…"

Jina looks at me.

“D&D character, you think?"

“Or something like it, yeah."

I edge over, and with Monroe's permission, I open the door to get a better look at the whole situation.

Just like I was thinking, it's definitely a D&D orc, or at least something from a similar tabletop universe. Nobody else carries a bucket-load of weapons like a roleplayer. I watch as the orc struts up and down the strip club, a ball of fire in one hand and a wand in the other. Probably some artifacts gained.

He looks at the women on stage, chuckling to himself.

“So, which of you is gonna be the lucky bitch before I get back on my trip? Who's gonna spread her legs for an orc dick?"

I shake my head, looking over at Jina. She nods her head, and moves back a couple of steps. The detective blinks, starting to gesture at her, and I stop him.

“You could try and stop him, but I guarantee that she's better suited right now. You don't make a headshot, this orc is going to burn the place down."

“Orc? What the…how…"

“I told you. Fiction is coming to life. And not all of it is written down."

Jina makes her move, kicking down the door and vaulting forward with the stripper pole. The orc turns, freezes for a moment at the naked girl flying through the air at him. I see a brief grin on his face before he reaches up to catch her.

She lands in his arms, the red panda smiling at him and stroking a finger down his chest.

“Hey, big guy. You want to leave these girls behind?"

“Heh, why? You offering?"

“A queen can get bored, can't she?"

I can almost [i]see[/i] the INT check going on behind his eyes. And he fails it, in a big way. No sooner has he made his decision than Jina is over his shoulders, getting carried out of the door. Probably to some back alley. She waves with a wink at me, and disappears.

Shaking my head, I leave the room, grab a fire extinguisher, and get to work putting out the fires. The detective follows me, still slowly shaking his head, moving from one girl to another on the stages to calm them down. They seem to be a bit shaken, but unharmed, which is better than I can say for the bits of destroyed tables and property.

[i]You know, I really feel sorry for the creator of that character when they turn up,[/i] I think to myself. [i]You never know what sort of shit your creations will do until they're let loose from your control.[/i]

“Um…Spencer?"

I turn back to the detective.

“Yeah?"

“Are you sure that you don't know anything else about this?"

“Pretty sure. Why?"

“You're calmer than I am, and that's saying something, with the crimes I've seen."

“I'm probably in denial at the moment. The freak out is gonna hit pretty hard when it does."

“That's it?"

“Well, having mentally LIVED in this sort of world for most of my life certainly doesn't hurt. When you read as much as I do, you're used to having worlds kinda mix with each other."

The detective looks at me with an expression I can't quite make out. Somewhere between pity and shock, I guess. It doesn't matter. I go back to using the fire extinguisher, making my way around the room bit by bit.

I eventually get to the tables by the door, and am making my way along some bits nearing the door frame when it opens all of a sudden. Too suddenly for me to stop the spray. I hear a sputtering and shivering, and I drop the extinguisher in apology.

Though…to who, I'm not quite sure.

It's small, I notice that right off the bat. Shorter than any of my characters. And with a few glinting things at her hips, too. At first, I almost think someone's sent Rocket Raccoon out here, because of the size difference, but that's not right, with the bits of femininity in the face and muzzle.

She wipes some of the white off of her, and playfully glares up at me.

“You know, if you were anyone else, I would have stabbed you for that."

“…Veronica?"

“In the fur. Boss girl sent me to make sure that things were alright."

“Kinda surprised she'd send you after me."

“Well, she'd already sent Tobias after the otter, so…"

“Oh, lovely…"

“So, you know what's going on?"

“I wish."

“Well, let's get you back to the hide-out." She looks around me, at the cop, and immediately narrows her eyes. “Do I need to get stabby?"

“Not right now."

“Pity. I'm not getting to use these things on anyone…"

[b][u][center]The End[/center][/u][/b]